Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation
Expect Nothing, Pull Saw, Slay, Repeat
Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation
I'll Tell You What
Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation
Why Work in Wilderness
WRF
Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation
Wilderness Growth

Forrest reflects on his first hitch in the Bitterroot National Forest.

Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation
Moments in the Mountains

Stream (Creek) of Consciousness 

Ariel Centeno

Wilderness Ranger Fellow

Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness

Hitch 5- Marble Creek | August 2-9 

George Lucas once said that Star Wars is like poetry…it rhymes. I don’t fully know if that applies to trail work, but it’s a quote that kept rolling around in my head on Marble Creek. Being the last hitch of our season, I kept reflecting on our first hitch on the Chamberlain trail. On our first hitch, we hiked up a canyon, on our last, we hiked down a canyon. That’s like poetry, right?

Julian and the mules

Unlike Chamberlain, this time I felt far more mentally and physically prepared to take on Marble Creek. Maybe a little too prepared. Marble was different than the rest of our hitches for the best reasons. This time around, our 3 man crew of Dylan, Julian, and I were accompanied by an awesome group of volunteers and a cowboy poet and his pack of mules. This group was an eclectic mix of chefs, trail workers, sign makers, rafters, entrepreneurs, firefighters/professors, nutritionists, worm farmers, farmer market ninjas, and everything in between. The one thing we all had in common is that when it was time to work, we WORKED.

Most of Marble was already cleared of trees when we got down there, however, the trail was basically hidden by overgrown grasses, bushes, and rockslides. This time around, we traded our saws for Pulaskis. The first few work days we focused on brushing, lopping, and clearing those rockslides to make the first few miles of Marble a dream to hike through. Flower meadows, beaver dams, and plenty of creek crossings.

Breakfast, lunch and snacks packed in for Marble Creek

Actually, too many creek crossings. By the third workday, I think most of us gave up on switching out our boots for sandals. Marble Creek seems to be a little infamous for the number of creek crossings it has. Each crossing just happens to be spaced out so that as soon as your socks begin to dry, there’s another crossing. Wet feet, wet boots, cloudy days, and cold mornings.

Dylan cooking breakfast for the trail crew

Food. Lots of food. Thanks to volunteers, we traded instant rice and ramen for Spaghetti Carbonara, chili, mac and cheese that isn’t just noodles and cheese powder. And for dessert? Candy, so much candy. It's not a proper hitch without at least 3 Starbursts a day.

Switching back to the work, we actually ran into an SCA crew that was working from the opposite end of the trail. They let us know that they cleared their end of the trail with the exception of 3 trees. They told us they weren’t able to cut them due to the size and nature of them. So of course, we NEEDED to get to them. Those SCA guys weren’t kidding. Of all the trees Julian, Dylan, and I have cut, these were by far the most tricky ones. The first was a no-brainer but was one of the largest we’ve cut this season. Trees 2 and 3…. Yikes.

Tree number 2. The steep angle, loose rocks and hanging roots made this a challenging cut (Photo by Michelle Florence)

Managing to clear the second tree was one of the most rewarding experiences this summer.

Tree three, however, was basically impossible to clear with just our saws. I wouldn’t call it a defeat, more of a strategic retreat. Still, just one downed tree on the entire trail? That’s a win by my standards.

Okay, so maybe it wasn’t anything like Chamberlain other than it also being a canyon. Maybe less like a poem, and more like a victory lap. Good company, good food, good views, mules for ambiance, and one really awesome gift from John, one of the volunteers. Marble Creek really was a great way to end the season.

The Marble Creek team posing with our Frank Church signs made by volunteer John (Trailhead DesignWorks)

Eric, one of the volunteers, clearing an overgrown part of the trail (photo by Michelle)

Michelle, one of the volunteers, clearing an overgrown part of the trail

Payette National Forest | Frank Church-RONR Wilderness

Florida International University

Sustainability & the Environment

Ariel grew up in the suburbs of Miami, FL. He became interested in the outdoors after going camping for the first time in early high school. After that trip, he made an effort to go as often as possible, and now has an internship working in south Florida’s wetlands. He is excited to join SBFC and work in wilderness.


Gifts from the Land

Michael C. Sanchez

Wilderness Ranger Fellow

July 4-13 | Payette National Forest

Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness

Editor’s Note: Michael was immersed in the Frank Church-RONR Wilderness this summer. He mailed his handwritten blog post to our offices in Boise!

From the city of Phoenix, being almost 2 million people, to the city of Missoula, Montana, where the population is less than 100,000. To the city of McCall, Idaho where the population might be less than 4,000. This journey has really placed a perspective on the world around me. 

Now being flown out into the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness in a Twin Otter plane, from a small airport, owned by the United States Forest Service, where planes are mainly used for fighting forest fires. I land and live in Wilderness.

The population here is now a crew of 6, whom I will work alongside, clearing never-ending trails that serve as habitat for a larger population I could not even fathom. From the singing birds to the leaping White Tails and Mule Deer; to the chirping crickets and the buzzing mosquitoes.

I am immersed in Wilderness. The work here brings a number of challenges and summons perseverance, while also giving accomplishment and self-growth.

The land gives you its history just by walking through it, but also gives you its future by moving through it. The landscapes are ever-changing yet everlasting.

The land is owed many thanks for what it provides: life in abundance. The mountains and trees are owed many thanks for what they provide: beauty and grace. I hope those who find this path for themselves may also give thanks for being on a land so wild and famed. That we may grow like the land does after being pure and untamed.

MICHAEL SANCHEZ

Payette National Forest | Frank Church-RONR Wilderness

Arizona State University

Major: Conservation Biology

Michael was raised in Arizona, where he became very fond of the landscapes provided in such a dry state. However, when traveling and living in Calgary, Alberta, he found a love for pine, creeks, and moss that grows on north facing rocks. He's also found a love and importance in conservation of all species through hiking, backpacking, and spending plenty of time around animals. His coursework for a bachelors degree in Conservation Biology has allowed him to piece various experiences together and to give him a deeper perspective on why we must protect our environment. Exploring his roots as an indigenous person has guided him the embodiment and the appreciation for the land and what it provides to us as a species.

Reflections from a Recliner

Kieran Wilder

Wilderness Ranger Fellow 

Selway Bitterroot Wilderness - Nez Perce Clearwater NF

Hitches 1-3  6/6-7/11

Appreciation is a word that's been on my mind a lot recently. During my crew's last off hitch, I severely rolled my ankle, fracturing a bone, tearing ligaments, and putting me on the couch for the rest of the season. My goals for the season were to learn the skills it takes to be a wilderness ranger, meet like-minded people, and give back to the wilderness area that I had spent much of my childhood surrounded by. While my season was cut short, I feel like I was able to accomplish much of what I had hoped. Reflecting now as I sit on this cushioned recliner with AC blasting and food at the press of a microwave button, I feel great appreciation.

Connor Adams leading the ridge hike to Fish Lake on Trail #206 (Hitch 3), Photo: Kieran Wilder.

Nez Perce Clearwater Wilderness Ranger Fellows enjoying the view overlooking Eagle Mountain Lake (Hitch 3) Photo: Connor Adams.

Nez Perce Clearwater crew kicking back at Horse Camp cabin after a long day (Hitch 1) Photo: Karlissa Skinner.

I feel appreciation for the place I was able to work. The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness was where I first backpacked and where my love for wild places was sparked. Being able to give back to this place through the work we do on our hitches is a very rewarding feeling. I think back to my crew’s first hitch at horse camp where we learned how to build a sawbuck to be used to crosscut logs that could be split for firewood. Our crew also monitored campsites around Stanley Hot Springs where we were able to ‘test’ the water in one of the wildernesses best hot springs. 

I feel appreciation for the work that we do. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the challenge of working in these wilderness areas, and often I found myself forgetting why I was out there. I think back to my crew’s second hitch where we cut close to 700 trees along the Warm Springs and Wind Lakes trails, and forded across Warm Springs Creek (falsely named) each morning just as the sun was rising. In the moment it was sometimes difficult to recognize the value of the work, as your body told you to stop. Now, there is little else I would rather be doing than pulling a saw in a burned area with flies biting or limbing a tree as the rain soaks my boots.

Nez Perce-Clearwater NF Lead Wilderness Steward Connor Adams teaching map and compass skills on the Sponge Mountain saddle (Hitch 3)

Lastly, I feel appreciation for the people I was lucky enough to work alongside. A crosscut saw works best with two people in rhythm and supporting each other's strokes. Much in the same way, a crew’s support for one another allows us to achieve so much more than we could individually. I think of our crew’s third hitch up Eagle Mountain trail to Fish Lake, where long days of hiking were made easier by laughing together and thoughts of cooking dinner that evening. Sharing these special places with my crew was my favorite part of this season.



Enjoying the Sunrise at Fish Lake Cabin before a day of campsite monitoring (Hitch 3) Photo: Olivia Hinds. 

While I would have preferred to avoid this injury and finish out my season, it has given me an opportunity to recognize my appreciation for the places we work and the work that we do. I am more motivated than ever to get back out into the woods and continue to experience the beauty of the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness.

Nez Perce Clearwater Wilderness Ranger Fellows crew circa 1930 (L to R: Olivia Hinds, Kieran Wilder, Ryan Murphy, Connor Adams)(Hitch 1) Photo: Karlissa Skinner.

KIERAN WILDER

Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest | Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

Montana State University

Major: Environmental Science & Sustainability Studies

Kieran grew up in Moscow, Idaho and spent much of his childhood backpacking in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness where he developed his love for the outdoors. Kieran studied Environmental Science and Sustainability Studies at Montana State University where he furthered his passion for environmental protection and gained knowledge in wilderness policy and management. Kieran’s enthusiasm for wilderness comes from his recognition of the positive impact that wilderness areas have on people and his desire to protect them for future generations. Kieran is very excited to work with SBFC as a Wilderness Ranger Fellow and gain knowledge and skills in wilderness trail work and stewardship.

Past, Present, and Future

Reyna Rodriguez 

Wilderness Ranger Fellow 

Southern Nez Perce Trail | Bitterroot National Forest

July 10 - July 13

SBFC staff and the smokejumpers taking in the views on the Nez Perce Trail

The Southern Nez Perce Trail is said to have seen signs of walking life for over three thousand years. Thousands of people have walked this trail for many different reasons. Today was July 12, 2023 and we are walking this same trail to clear it for future use. We are the future of the forest. I realized this when we got the opportunity to work with retired smokejumpers. They are the past and have many stories of growing up in these mountains. Being able to spend time working with them put into perspective just how much I still had to learn and how much time I had to really live. 

Before the hitch I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep up. These amazing men were twice my age, twice my size, and could cut twice as many trees as I could in one day– this seemed like big shoes to fill! They were nice and patient, and taught Hannah, Ian and me all the quick ways they cut trees. They were quick to teach us that the creek is the best way to store your drinks and that they tasted better that way (which I could totally agree with). Many of the smokejumpers were ecstatic and spoke often of the excitement they had to see two young women going into the field. 

Reyna (the author) and Ian enjoying their steak dinner!

Smokejumpers are definitely the only people I know who can saw trees all day and still hang out around a campfire with some whiskey and cigars and tell stories for hours. On the last night of the hitch we were spoiled and had a steak dinner! It was a great change from our usually sad dehydrated meals. Jim (one of the Smokejumpers with an amazing mustache) made a bet that no one could eat another steak. Feeling bold, I took him up on the challenge and crushed another steak. These men were twice my age, twice my size, and could cut twice as many trees as I could in one day… but I could eat twice as many steaks as they could! Feeling full and content in my tent that night, I realized that supporting the future of the forest and trails is the biggest shoe I could try to fill.

The smokejumper camp on the Nez Perce Trail.

The volunteers with the SBFC crew.

REYNA RODRIGUEZ

Bitterroot National Forest | Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

Western New Mexico University

Major: Forestry & Wildlife

Reyna is a communicative, friendly individual who enjoys camping, fishing, and hiking. Reyna is currently studying at Western New Mexico University and is majoring in Forestry and Wildlife. Reyna found her love for the outdoors at a very young age and has followed that passion ever since.

Expect Nothing, Pull Saw, Slay, Repeat

Julian Brastow

Wilderness Ranger Fellow

Lookout Mountain Ridge Trail | Payette National Forest

Hitch #3 ~ 7/5/23 - 7/12/23

One thing I’ve learned after three hitches of immersing myself in the Lower 48’s largest contiguous wilderness area, is to hike into each day of work expecting absolutely nothing. With my crewmates Dylan and Ariel, I’ve walked up and over mountains, across rivers, and through both vibrant, green, shaded forests, as well as large swaths of scorchingly hot burn scars. It seems that the type of trail maintenance we do involves never knowing what’s around the next corner of trail, which can manifest physically as an easy stroll through a beautiful subalpine forest, admiring the views and moving a log off the trail every ten minutes or so, or a soul-crushing cluster you-know-what of 50 burnt trees fallen across a 100-foot stretch of the trail that is nothing but demoralizing and makes for painstakingly slow progress. During this past hitch on the Lookout Mountain Ridge Trail, we encountered these two extremes, as well as everything in between. It makes for maintaining a steady optimistic attitude an uphill battle, but adds to the adventurousness of our work, and can be extraordinarily rewarding once you learn how to cope with the wildly variable nature of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness: go into each day of your hitch with no expectations, and focus on pulling saw through one log at a time.

Before: a particularly rough section of trail

After: the same section of trail after being cleared, with Ariel and I posing with the crosscut saw

The first day of our hitch involved waking up nothing but well-rested and eager to get on the road after America’s favorite holiday, and spending over five hours in the trusty old green suburban, most of which was spent on dirt roads pushing deeper and deeper into the Payette, driving along the beautiful South Fork of the Salmon River and East Fork of the South Fork of the Salmon River (why???). We also learned never to trust Google Maps in Central Idaho. We arrived at Thunder Mountain Trailhead, where we started hiking the next morning, not knowing what to expect, of course. Within the first half mile of the trail we came across cuts that had recently been made, which confused us as to why there had been someone working on the same trail in the same season as us. However, we soon ran into a burn scar chock full of dead trees lying across the trail ready to be cut. Much of the next few days were spent alternating between burnt sections of forest with lots of work, and sections of shaded forest with living trees that did not require much work, as well as bumping our base camp from the trailhead to an enchanted campsite along refreshingly cold and delicious Telephone Creek.

Myself trying to avoid the mosquitoes

On day 5 we made it to Lookout Mountain, which provided sweeping vistas of the rugged Frank stretching to the horizon in every direction, and where we had an impromptu LinkedIn profile photo shoot. The next day we pushed our work farther, and soon encountered the soul-crusher I spoke of previously. This is where my seemingly never-ending optimism reached a breaking point. Clearing a trail that is in this bad of shape can be best described as solving a complex puzzle, starting from the top of the pile of logs and moving to the bottom, deciding which size saw (or brute force) is best suited for each log. We lightened the mood by yelling out names of the various tools we had at our disposal: “Zubát! K-Booooooooy! Visger!!! Liiiiiiiift!”.

Before: the soul-crusher!

After: almost a day's worth of work!

It was a tough, beautiful, and rewarding hitch, and on the last day we hiked our sweaty, dirty, fatigued, and emotional selves back to the trailhead, where on the way we unexpectedly ran into a literal angel. His name was Clay, and within the past year he had become an ICT through hiker, trail angel, and independent guerilla trail maintainer. It turns out he was the one that had cleared that first bit of trail before we arrived. He was so ecstatic that we had done all his work for him, that we were invited back to his campsite and were force-fed ice cold Ahas, Oreos, Fig Newtons, chips and salsa, and the now infamous cracker/pepperoni/cheez whiz combo. I really couldn’t have come up with a better combination of post-hitch snacks. Thank you Clay! I’m looking forward to continuing to develop as a team with Ariel and Dylan on our next two hitches, where I will go into each day expecting nothing, but at the same time knowing I will continue to grow as a wilderness steward, whilst working and frolicking in one of our nation’s most valuable resources.

Work on this hitch was funded by private donors and Idaho Parks and Recreation.

JULIAN BRASTOW

Payette National Forest | Frank Church-RONR Wilderness

Lewis & Clark College

Major: Environmental Studies

Julian grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. While living there, he spent a lot of time with his family going camping and exploring the outdoors and hasn't stopped since. Julian recently graduated from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, with a degree in Environmental Studies. He was a trip leader for the College Outdoors program, leading groups of students on outdoor trips in the Pacific Northwest. Julian maintains a strong respect for public lands and wilderness areas and is stoked to spend a summer with SBFC exploring and learning about how to be a great steward to these beautiful places.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

Hannah Richter

Wilderness Ranger Fellow

St. Mary Peak | Bitterroot National Forest

07/07-07/09/2023

For my blog post, I will write about my three favorite things that occurred on this mini-hitch, SBFC’s annual St. Mary Peak Trail volunteer project … so follow me along on this wild adventure, and here we go!

The author (right) and Reyna (left), SBFC’s 2023 Wilderness Ranger Fellows for the Bitterroot National Forest on the St. Mary Peak Lookout

Coming into this third hitch was much more luxurious than I ever thought possible. This time, instead of being greeted by rain or wind, we were welcomed by sunshine. This meant nice sunburns and more bugs, but hey, at least my boots stayed dry! I never thought I'd be so grateful for the feeling of dry boots. The silence of my boots while walking and not hearing or feeling my feet squish around is one of the best feelings I’ve learned to love while working. So, with this being said, it surprisingly seems that dry boots made it on my list of a few of my favorite things.

Next on my list, on top of the privilege of having dry boots, my group and I had the privilege of working alongside such a wonderful and friendly bunch of people. This was our first volunteer trip, and throughout this experience, everyone in the group enjoyed the view, the breeze, and each other's company every day. It was always such a pleasure to hear everyone’s backgrounds and stories that led them to this very trip. These volunteers made the experience so comfortable yet exciting, and made me feel so grateful to join along for the ride.

Volunteers and SBFC staff on the summit of St. Mary Peak

The author at the St. Mary Peak Lookout in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

Lastly, combined with having dry boots and working alongside extraordinary people, having Maddie, an Australian Shepherd pup, and Izzie, an older Australian Shepherd, greeting us each day during this trip was the cherry on top. Each morning before work and each evening after work, Maddie and Izzie would greet everyone and would make their rounds to get scratched or to play around. This extra happiness in the trip made my experience even more joyous and felt such a great whirl of gratitude for every day spent with the group and the pups.

Well, there you have it; a few of my favorite things from the hitch. I hope you’ve enjoyed my post and I challenge anyone reading this to find three of your favorite things in your daily life. Thank you and enjoy the adventures!

**Extra special thanks to Renee and Jay Snyder, our hosts in Stevensville for the St. Mary Peak project, who are some of the sweetest people I have ever met. Thank you for making the St. Mary experience wonderful!

HANNAH RICHTER

Bitterroot National Forest | Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

Gonzaga University

Major: Environmental Studies

Hannah adores nature and good adventures! She grew up in Southern California and used to be a caretaker and lacrosse coach. Hannah is passionate about the wilderness and nature because of the connection she has to the natural world. One of Hannah's goals in life is to try to help others find this connection for themselves in hopes for a better society and world.

Choose Your Own Adventure

Heather Pendleton

Wilderness Ranger Fellow

Camptender Trail (map) | Salmon-Challis National Forest

6/21- 6/28/2023

I like to think of hitches (and life, for that matter) as a real-life version of “Choose Your Own Adventure.” You know, the books where you get to a certain point and it has a prompt along the lines of, “You just encountered a roaring river with only a slippery log to cross on, do you: a) try crossing and risk falling in (turn to page 9) or b) attempt to find a different spot further upstream and lose the trail (turn to page 12).” You get the idea.

So there we were, after six days off, we found ourselves back at the Camptender trailhead. The previous hitch was our initial meeting of this rugged and fascinating trail, where we cleared 195 dead, complex trees in just a ¼ mile stretch. It was hard work! But we knew what we were in for - or so we thought.

The first day, we got there and hiked to where we had previously cleared and cached our tools. On the way down we hear the loud roar of a jet. Craning our necks in the direction of the sound, we see an F-15 jet careening around the mountain so close to us it felt like we could touch it. This would have been neat no matter where you were, but the fact that we were out there in the wilderness, in what we thought was solitude, was a complete shock to the system. We were left reeling, as the fighter jet continued on its merry little way.

Alex’s birthday celebration!

That same night was Alex’s birthday (SBFC’s Lead Wilderness Steward on the Salmon-Challis National Forest) so we of course had to have a backcountry celebration, complete with gifts, treats, candles, and a very out-of-tune rendition of “Happy Birthday”. The next day followed our expectations of down trees, gorgeous views, and the ever-present chirps on the pikas. Oh, and a RAINBOW CLOUD. One thing I need to disclose is that I have been shouting to the heavens for a rainbow ever since day one on the Camptender trail, so this was definitely a treat.

Rainbow Cloud! with Jersey and Alex

At the end of the day, we head down to camp and have some visitors waiting for us. Sylvia and Rick are volunteers staying out at the Bear Valley Work Station that is a few miles down the road from us, and apparently they’ve been trying to run into us since last hitch. Among snacks and running water, they offer to have us stay at one of the cabins on the compound that has not only beds, but a shower. Yes. A real life shower with warm water. Quite unbelievably sweet music to our stinky little ears. We knew that a storm was coming in the next day so we gave them a literal rain check and decided to see what the weather ended up doing.

Alright. Day 3. This is when things started getting saucy. We found ourselves in a predicament. We knew a thunderstorm was coming in; we were working on the ridge where lightning just loved to make its presence known with a ferocious BANG! every now and then, the wind enjoyed a lively roar, and the hail could be vicious enough to warrant a few bruises through your rain jacket. We also knew that the North Elk Creek trail (a back-up trail in case of bad weather) just so happened to be a mile from Sylvia and Rick’s haven. Here it is folks, I hope you are prepared. Do you a) hike up the Camptender trail, risking the thunderstorm to get some work done or b) head over to North Elk Creek trail and see what's up at Sylvia and Rick’s?

You chose A, didn’t you! Well we did. We hiked up Camptender. As we neared the ridge and gained a better view over the valley below, the dark, stormy, foreboding clouds became even more dark and foreboding. We crested the ridge, saw the storm rumbling in, and made a decision to descend. We gave it a good go, but swinging around metal tools in the middle of a lightning storm seemed like a questionable activity. Down we go.

Sign at N. Elk Creek, showing Porter Creek (where the packers went), Camptender (8 miles), and Sulphur Creek (where another SBFC crew was working at the time).

We pack up camp and scoot on over to Sylvia and Rick’s where we are met with a warm cup of cocoa and a small dog named Snuggles. After a quick chat with Sylvia and some borrowed tools, we set out for North Elk Creek trail, where we ran into a group of horse packers who were going out to work on a section of the trail about 3 miles out. The trail they were working on eventually meets up with Camptender, which we thought was pretty neat. The North Elk Creek Trail was incredibly beautiful and buggy, wandering up, around, and through meadows with sweeping views of the Frank Church Wilderness.

North Elk Creek Boardwalk

I could go into so much detail on just the third day of our hitch, but I’ll spare you the details. The moral of this part of the story is that we made some wonderful new friends (both human and animal), got to experience a different trail and section of the Frank that eventually connected with a trail we were putting our blood, sweat, and tears into trying to clear, and the most mind-blowing part - got hot showers and didn't have to filter any water.

From here do you a) ask Rick and Sylvia to adopt you, live at Bear Valley Work Station for the rest of summer, and travel around the most beautiful parts of the United States in their horse trailer with them, or b) Head back to Camptender Trail to pull some saw and swing some axe?

After a long debate, we went with B. We set up camp on the moody ridge that we had grown to love and respect for its wild nature, so excited to finally get to wrap ourselves in the stars of the night and the fog of the morning.

Day six, night two living on the ridge, do you; a) wake up when your alarm goes off at 6:00 am or b) sleep in for just 10 more minutes?

Alex crossing Boundary Creek on Camptender Trail

A! And good thing you did because you are rewarded with none other than a SUNRISE RAINBOW. I repeat, a rainbow in companionship with the rising of the sun. Unbelievable. It was fleeting, like all the most beautiful things this life has to offer. It was nearly gone by the time my phone had turned on to snap a picture (still caught it though). And that’s sort of how the rest of the hitch went. It was sunrise rainbows, trees falling unannounced right before our eyes, birds nearly slamming into your head, pikas or marmots or some other sneaky woodland creature stealing your work gloves and gnawing little holes in them, misty mornings cocooning you from the rest of the world, and clearing a total of 400 trees from a trail that was formerly impassable. This entire hitch felt like a fever dream. Every day Jersey, Alex, and I had to be like… “y’all are experiencing this too, right?”

Sunrise Rainbow! You have to look for it but she's there.

Jersey watching a misty sunrise on the ridge.

And that’s the magic of the wilderness. Incredibly preposterous, harshly magnificent.

So there you have it. I encourage you to get out there and Choose Your Own Adventure. You never know where the next page turn will take you.

Jersey, Alex, and Heather- the SBFC Salmon-Challis Crew, on the Camptender Trail.

HEATHER PENDLETON

Salmon-Challis National Forest | Frank Church-RONR Wilderness

California State University, Chico

Major: Environmental Science

Heather grew up in Truckee, California. Throughout her adolescence, Heather had many opportunities to participate in community-led land stewardship work, which fueled her drive to make a positive impact on the place she called home. Her love for the outdoors compelled her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in environmental science at California State University, Chico where her focus was ecology and fire. Heather’s big life goals are to spend as much time as possible outside, to try lots of different things, and to relish the feeling of being alive. She hopes to continue her formal education after gaining more hands-on experience and is excited to see what else a life connected to nature has to teach her.

I'll Tell You What

Dylan Barker

Lead Wilderness Steward - Payette National Forest

Hitch 2 6/21/23-6/28/23

Karl teaches Fellows Ariel and Julian about the tree species in the area.

It’s not often I leave a hitch where my cheeks are more sore than my shoulders.

Along with Wilderness Ranger Fellows Ariel Centano and Julian Barstow, our second hitch of the season was spent accompanying Jim Heidelberger (SBFC Board Chair) and the Whisky Society from Moscow, Idaho on their annual Whisky in the Woods trip. Back for their 2nd year on Sulphur Creek, this group of hard-working volunteers was determined to open up this trail further than they made it previously, and boy did they perform. Cutting over 400 trees in those short 8 days, we just about doubled, if not further, the distance they covered last year.

We were gratefully packed in by the Squaw Butte Chapter of Backcountry Horsemen of Idaho based out of Emmet, Idaho to a camp about 4 miles down trail. Day 1 was a quick introduction to the week of work we had ahead of us. After a quick trailhead camp tear down and the first of many great breakfasts provided by Jim, the group headed down the trail to clear way for the pack string, with the first cuts being made within 5 minutes of the trailhead. The next 6 days were full of nonstop pulling saws, levering logs, and constant laughs.

Jason celebrates his 21st birthday with a Dutch oven biscuit made by Lovina, delivered by his son Cai.

Bert indulges in “just one more” lemon bar prepared ahead of time by Jim Heidelberger.

One of the many phenomenal dinners prepared by Jim throughout the week.

While the work we did was immense and memorable, I will be forever appreciative of our time spent around the campfire each morning and night. Sharing jokes, stories, memories, passing around tupperwares of incredible desserts, and celebrating birthdays: those were the times that made this a hitch to remember. This group of longtime friends was quick to invite and involve myself and the fellows into their inner circle for the week, and I can’t thank them enough for that.

Working with a group that schedules their year around a week of hard work, great whisky, and even better food really puts into perspective how much these Wilderness areas mean and how important they are to keep alive.

The 2023 Whisky in the Woods crew!

DYLAN BARKER

LEAD WILDERNESS STEWARD

Payette National Forest

Frank Church-RONR Wilderness

Dylan grew up in Indiana where he was introduced to most things outdoors at a young age. While attending college, his interest in public land and the outdoors grew into a passion. Dylan moved to Missoula in 2021, and worked two seasons on a trail crew. He developed a love for service in the form of trails conservation. He is excited to spend the summer connecting with Wilderness and sharing his knowledge with others. There are few things in life that bring Dylan as much joy as being able to live and work out of some of the most scenic areas in the country.

There and Back Again

Connor Adams

Lead Wilderness Steward – Nez Perce Clearwater National Forest

Hitch 1 – 6/6/23-6/14/23


Nez Perce Clearwater Lead Wilderness Steward Connor Adams takes his turn reading from The Hobbit after a long workday.

“He sat himself down with his back to a tree, and not for the last time fell to thinking of his far-distant hobbit-hole with its beautiful pantries.”

So goes an oft-repeated refrain in The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, a quintessential adventure story, and not by accident the only reading material available at Horse Camp cabin in the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness (unless you also count the 1998 edition of the Field Guide to Noxious Weeds of Idaho). My crew of Wilderness Fellows and Karlissa, our guest for the hitch, happened to overlap the first five days with the SBFC trail crew at Horse Camp, and we returned from work on Thursday to find Pete reading aloud from the book to his crewmates. Obviously, we were enthralled, and storytime with The Hobbit became something to look forward to every day. In fact, everyone agreed that Bilbo’s narrative was eminently relatable, and it became easier and easier to find parallels between his travails and our own.

Nez Perce Clearwater Fellows Olivia Hinds and Kieran Wilder clearing a tricky green tree out of Trail #211.

Bilbo encountered nasty weather of all kinds (it rained on us nearly every day of hitch), found himself next to starvation several times (we ate as well as one can on a backpacking hitch, but no one denied that they found themselves thinking about food almost every minute of every day), and he had to shoulder a pack that weighed nearly as much as himself when he ventured into Mirkwood (even after 8 years leading Wilderness crews, nothing can prepare you for the overwhelming weight of the pack on the first hitch after a long winter). We too thought often of our warm and dry hobbit-holes back home, but we got to see a great deal of wild country and have almost as many adventures as Bilbo, and in the end we slayed the dragon as well (which is to say we had a very productive and successful hitch).

Posing with Horse Camp’s brand new sawbuck. (Hitch 1 - NPCNF - Horse Camp Cabin - L to R Kieran Wilder, Connor Adams, Olivia Hinds, Ryan Murphy - taken by Karlissa Skinner)

Our main program of work for our first hitch was to monitor campsites in the Boulder Creek drainage and the Horse Camp area, and to clear as much of trail #211 as we had time for. The Fellows got a very varied taste of Wilderness work in their first few days. Olivia and I hiked 17 miles out to Gold Hill, over hundreds of downed trees and no few snow patches, to monitor campsites. Kieran and I did 12 creek crossings in one day to do the same. Ryan got to practice his new skills with the crosscut and the axe as we cleared #211 nearly up to Fish Lake Saddle. And we all enjoyed a morning of backcountry construction, as we finished building a new sawbuck for Horse Camp, and promptly used it to cut, split, and stack firewood for the cabin.

Traditional tools…it’s not just crosscuts and axes.

Bilbo was never far away from our minds throughout our projects, and we were lucky enough to finish the book as a crew on the last night of hitch. We cleared 5 miles of trail, monitored 42 campsites, and left the field with a newly named crosscut saw (Sting, of course) and the bonds that only come from a week of suffering and succeeding together. It’s easy to think about the comforts of home when your pack is heavy and you’re getting rained on every day, but I think we too were in the end grateful for our adventure. I’m looking forward to four more!

The Nez Perce Clearwater Fellows crew arrives in the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness at long last. (Hitch 1 - NPCNF - Trail #211 - L to R Olivia Hinds, Ryan Murphy, Kieran Wilder, Connor Adams - taken by Karlissa Skinner)

CONNOR ADAMS, LEAD WILDERNESS STEWARD

Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest

Frank Church-RONR Wilderness

Connor has been a wandering Wilderness person for almost a decade now. After some years overseas and a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, he made his way to Montana and immediately fell in love with the wild places of the Northern Rockies. He has worked in The Bob Marshall Wilderness, the Gros Ventre Wilderness, and spent four years with SBFC in the Selway Bitterroot and Frank Church.

Back in the Saddle

Ian Harris

Lead Wilderness Steward

Bitterroot National Forest | Selway River #4 Trail

6/6/23 - 6/13/23

The 2023 Bitterroot National Forest Crew

Heavy morning dew splashes against our rain pants and streams down onto our boots as we trudge through chest high brush. I am convinced there is no such thing as waterproof boots. The upper Selway, a mere six feet to our left, provides a cacophonous soundtrack to the last day of our hitch, but we don’t hear it anymore. We are nothing but sore, wet feet, and backs aching from burdensome packs and a week of crosscutting. Our weary minds can focus on only three things: sloughing off our packs at the trailhead, our first hot meals back in civilization, and the promising rays of sunshine creeping down the opposite side of the canyon.

Hannah Richter and Reyna Rodriguez crosscutting on the #4 trail of the upper Selway, Bitterroot NF, Frank Church Wilderness, photo by Ian Harris

For Reyna from warm, dry New Mexico, this is her first experience in trailwork. For Hannah from nearby Spokane, this is her first time backpacking. And for me, though my trail boots are well seasoned, this is my first hitch since a harrowing week in Yellowstone in the fall of 2019. After three years leading crews for the Montana Conservation Corps, and a year working from home during COVID for the Montana Fire Bureau, I had put my ambitions on hold to travel full-time in a camper van in support of my wife’s career. Two years later, I once again find myself beside wonderful trail people, with familiar bruised feet and aching limbs, and surrounded by the deep majesty of wilderness. Though I miss my wife, it was time I returned to work.

After a gentle, yet toilsome, five mile hike from Upper Crossing, we pass Haystack Creek. Then the first tree we cleared on the #4 trail seven days prior. And, finally, we glimpse the outbuildings of Magruder Ranger Station, where the sunshine and comfort of my truck await. We sigh with relief - not just out of physical reprieve, but with a strong sense of accomplishment and gratitude. 

Hannah Richter, Reyna Rodriguez, and Ian Harris at Magruder RS, Bitterroot NF, Frank Church Wilderness, photo by Hannah Richter

Trailwork is not for everyone - it is laborious and demanding - but it removes us from social media, endless news cycles, and the comforts we take for granted, and deposits us into the magnificent splendor and simplicity of the wilderness. It hardens us, physically and mentally, building fortitude and a greater sense of appreciation, both for what we have at home, and for what we leave untrammeled. We spent eight days clearing 87 trees from five and a half miles of trail, inventorying a couple campsites, and doing our best to stay dry and hydrated. Our first hitch proved that the toughest moments are often the ones that leave us smiling with pride and joy, and keep us searching for more.

Before and after sawing on the #4 trail of the upper Selway, Bitterroot NF, Frank Church Wilderness, photo by Ian Harris

IAN HARRIS, LEAD WILDERNESS STEWARD

Bitterroot National Forest

Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

Ian moved from Philadelphia to Missoula in 2010 to attend the University of Montana, from which he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration. He fell in love with the wild spaces of Montana and Idaho, and spent three seasons leading youth trail crews. After a year with the DNRC Fire Bureau, he traveled the county in a camper van with his wife for two years to support her professional disc golf career. When not in the woods or on the disc golf course, Ian can be found at the Roxy Theater, playing tennis or board games, or reading a good book.